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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pressurized liquid sprayers and more particularly to a sprayer that has a canister with a chamber interior for holding both air and a liquid, the liquid compressing the air as the canister is filled and wherein a specially configured mixing chamber receives liquid from the canister and mixes it with a desired chemical product (eg. chemical concentrate, insecticide, soap, fertilizer, etc.) before transmitting the mixed solution to a valved spray wand or spray head.
2. General Background of the Invention
Common pump-type sprayers often provide a container that holds several gallons of liquid. Most of these prior art type pump sprayers require pre-mixing of an amount of diluent such as water that is combined with a given, typically smaller volume of chemical concentrate such as a fertilizer, insecticide, soap, or the like.
These prior art type pump sprayers require a constant recharge of air pressure via a hand pump arrangement. Pump arrangements on commercially available and known sprayers include reciprocating pumps or lever action pumps. As the user dispenses mixed liquid through a spray head, the pump pressure gradually decreases and the user must again manually pump the unit. Such pump sprayers are usually designed to carry relatively small volumes, eg. 1-3 gallons.
More expensive sprayer arrangements are known that utilize an electric motor in combination with a tank. Such sprayers are typically available in 10, 15 and 25 gallon capacities. An example of such an electrically powered sprayer is sold by John Deere(copyright) wherein a user activates the electric pump when the spray head is valved to an open position, and wherein the electric motor is deactivated when the spray head valve is closed.
Some sprayer constructions that use tanks and bladders with pressurized air are disclosed in U.S. patents. Devices that have a bladder or diaphragm require an external source that is constantly communicating with a supply pressure for dispensing contents.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,847,249; 1,384,296; 4,962,888; and 5,398,852 all relate to sprayers that hold a fluid that is rejected by pressurized air contained within a canister. The ""249 patent utilizes a garden hose that adds water to a pressurized canister wherein a bladder of rubber or like material compresses the air as the water is added under pressure.
The Lacy patent 5,398,852 features a tank cap that connects to a standard garden hose and uses household water pressure to pressurize a tank interior and its contents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,081 and British Patent No. 7347723 disclose sprayers for hand held, manual operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,018,970 discloses a garden hose used to pressurized a chamber of a sprayer.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,199,110 and 3,184,113 disclose portable sprayers with bladders inside that segregate the fluid to be dispensed from pressurized air on the opposing side of the bladder that propels the spray.
Most of these prior art patents do not provide an effective method of mixing a chemical to be dispensed in precise concentration without messy pre-mixing.
Most prior art sprayers either require tiring manual operation for pumping or involve the extraordinary expense of electrical motors and related power source problems.
The present invention provides an improved sprayer apparatus that utilizes two separate chambers or canisters. The apparatus features a pre-charged or pre-pressurized bladder tank that is a larger tank or canister. The larger canister has an interior and an outlet, with an interior having a pressurized gas chamber contained that holds gas (eg. air) under pressure during use. The larger canister also includes a liquid chamber for holding a liquid solution, namely the combination of a bulk liquid (usually water) and chemical concentrate solution.
The second canister is a smaller, chemical concentrate containing housing. This chemical housing has a chamber that holds a desired concentrate. Both canisters are mounted on a frame that can be wheeled.
The chemical concentrate housing chamber holds a selected chemical concentrate to be mixed with a bulk or diluent liquid. A chemical concentrate is added to the solution housing; the final solution is formed by the addition of water to the solution housing via the manifold which mixes the water and concentrate together as they are transferred into the liquid side of the bladder tank.
The smaller chemical concentrate housing and valving defines a valved manifold arrangement connected to the canister at the outlet with a flowline. The manifold is configured to valve the flow of fluids as selected by a user into either the liquid chamber or into the chemical solution chamber via the concentrate chamber, or to cease any such flow.
The apparatus includes a spray hose and valve arrangement that enables the user to dispense a mixed solution of water and chemical or a selected liquid and chemical, the spray valve and hose being connected to the manifold. When the system is attached to a garden hose and filled under typical water pressure from the hose, the pre-pressurized air increases in pressure until reaching equilibrium with the pressure from the hose. The hose is then disconnected and the contents are discharged by the pressure developed in the filling stage. The air pressure decreases as the liquid is discharged until all the liquid is emptied, however, the pre-charged level of air pressure is maintained. The pre-charged or pre-pressurized setting is fully adjustable. Since it is set at the lowest working pressure, all the contents will be discharged without any need for a pump of any kind.